Part 47 - Diary entries for 12 and 13 May: Shamshering to Timyung Dzong

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SUMMARY:
Notes a new rucksack carrier named Taphirk and heavy local demand for worm medicine and remedies for stomach and 'heart' complaints. On 12 May at Shamshering, after rain and mist, two messengers arrived (one from Wanguco and one from Lhumbe Dzongpen) while the writer awaited letters from Betty via Holt's man; strawberries and possibly raspberries were sought for dinner. On 13 May at Timyung Dzong, very short marches are described and Ngudup is blamed for misjudging distances.

CONTENT:
Taphirk, a rucksack carrier. He is a nice looking lad, and I think he will be useful. Here there is great demand for 'worm' medicine. Everyone has them, tape or round, usually the latter. Everyone also complains of 'heart' situated remarkably near the stomach, cured usually with stomach powder. A few have come for gonorrhoea, but not so many as one would have expected. How grand it will be eventually to get to a place we can expect food, flowers, and above all air. Here we have been shut in, in low, hot valleys. But there are only 5 more days of that now.

12th May. Shamshering. Last night rain, mist all today. Our fine weather is over for the winter, but it was lovely while it lasted, and made everything look very pretty. Back again in this place. The march only takes 4 1/2 hours, which means one is in by 9:30, and there are no flowers to collect or look for here. Two messengers have arrived - one from Wanguco, and another from Lhumbe Dzongpen. I hope for a third, the only one I want, which would be with letters from Betty, sent back by Holt's man who took her the box of stores. He should be back by now. As a change of diet, I am having strawberries for dinner, with raspberries if they can be found. The latter are really good, but we haven't seen any bushes near camp yet.

13th May. Timyung Dzong. 4 miles. Ngudup slipped up about these two marches. He told me that from Dumahan to Lhumbe was for Bhutanese more than 2 days march. So I thought 3 for us would be just right. Yesterday we were in at 9:30, today at 7:15! And tomorrow we should be in by 7:15 too I think, as we can see the Dzong. What a waste of good time in the foulest of